The Monarchs never got into a consistent groove and the Rams, a team filled with exceptional hitters, capitalized right away on the big stage.

“We came out really stiff, really unsure, uneasy of the situation,” Exeter head coach Samantha Hilvers said. “I have a roster full of 16 girls who have never once been here before. Never once been to a Valley final or seen a game this big. I knew the nerves were going to play a factor. I was kind of hoping we were going to be able to shake them off a little bit quicker.”

Exeter's Sydney Long and Madelyn Sweepe set up a block against Garces' Perri Starkey during a Central Section Division II championship volleyball game held in Lemoore, Calif., Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016 at West Hills College, Golden Eagle Arena.(Photo11: Gary Kazanjian)

Exeter battled tough in the first set, but only for a brief stretch.

The Monarchs led 2-0 after a Rams’ serving error and a block by junior Madelyn Sweepe.

But Garces battled back.

The Monarchs and Rams traded points before Garces junior Olivia Chance’s ace broke a 7-7 tie. That point jump-started the Rams to an 18-7 run to seal the first set.

In the middle of game two, the Monarchs lost senior star outside hitter Olivia Harden, who entered the championship match with 371 kills on the season, to an injury.

Without Harden, a team captain, the Monarchs struggled to find their offense and fell 25-11.

“The girls look up to her,” Hilvers said of Harden. “She leads the team in multiple areas of everything. ... She’s definitely a hard player to replace.”

With Harden out the majority of the second and the entire third set, sophomore Teagan Bryant was inserted into the lineup and played well, Hilvers noted.

“I thought she did good, though,” Hilvers said of Bryant, who was playing out of her normal position. “I thought Teagan did a great job just being thrown in there and doing the best that she could with the situation, so I’m very proud of her for that.”

Exeter settled down a bit in the third game and showed some life.

Trailing 24-15, the Monarchs didn’t give up. They scored four consecutive points to close the margin to five, 24-19, but Garces sophomore outside hitter Perry Starkey delivered the game-point on a kill and the Rams broke into celebration.

“I’m glad that we were able to get the experience,” Hilvers said. “Especially for the girls who are coming back next year and moving forward.”

Harden had three kills before exiting the contest. Corinne Acosta tallied five kills, 12 digs, an ace and a block and Sweepe finished with three kills and three blocks. Kassi Stoltz had eight assists.

Despite the loss, the co-Central Sequoia League champion Monarchs (32-7) will advance to the CIF State Division II postseason. The Monarchs, who was seeded 13th in their side of the bracket, will travel to No. 4 Glendora (24-8) on Wednesday in Southern California. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m.

“One match isn’t going to define us,” Hilvers said. “We’ve put together a great season and we still have one more to go.”